Remember the famous case of the $71 million settlement for one misinterpreted Spanish word? The case happened in a Miami hospital in 1980. Willie Ramirez was a young Cuban, just 18. As a result of an interpreting error of the word intoxicado, Willie's brain hemorrhage was misdiagnosed. The result? He was left quadriplegic for life.

If you want to be able to quote that case in detail, here is a whole book on the topic, written by Gail Price-Wise, President of the Center for Cultural Competence.

On the good news side: During his 30 years as a quadriplegic, Willie emerged as a strong person who has enjoyed a life rich in relationships. He married--and even has a biological daughter. How happy we are to learn this!

How often do U.S. interpreters ask us, "Where can I improve my English?"

How often do we observe how important it is for foreign-born interpreters to understand U.S. culture and service systems?

Someone was listening. The University of Maryland Graduate Studies and Interpreting and Translation (GSIT) program already runs a serious certificate and MA program (which is accepting applications for Fall 2015 admissions: www.gsit.umd.edu).

And look: GSIT this summer offers two workshops devoted to strengthening English language skills and knowledge of U.S. history, politics, and culture.

One [program] is targeted toward undergraduate and graduate students who need to strengthen their English speaking and writing skills. They should be enrolled in a language and/or interpreting and translation program. Other majors will also be considered. The second [program] is targeted to professional interpreters wishing to strengthen their language skills in English.

Brilliant! For the fliers, click here -- and here.

For questions, click here or call (301) 405-6527.

The International Medical Interpreters Association (IMIA) has published several Salary Surveys and concluded with a 5-year report on trends. There is still time to take the 2015 survey.  

Those of us who support interpreters tend to view smart phone apps for interpreting as scourges or garbage.

Katharine Allen, Co-President of InterpretAmerica, has a more nuanced view. In her latest blog, two days ago, she points out that in emergencies and medical settings, where seconds are of the essence, smartphones may play a triage or other role. The intent is not to replace interpreters but to manage a situation. After all, interpreters may come in late (even by phone)--or not at all.

Check out her blog on smartphone interpreting apps for "real-life" use.

Many of you know I run a nonprofit in my "spare time"--the great passion of my life. It is of course The Voice of Love (VOL, www.voice-of-love.org), a national all-volunteer agency that supports training on how to interpret for survivors of torture, war trauma and sexual violence.

VOL has just launched its first blog! It will be hosted in rotation by Board members and Friends of VOL. I wrote the first one.

Check it out--let us know what you think!

Cultural Competence in Health and Human Services: Wednesday, April 29, morning session (8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.)  

If you serve diverse clients or patients, how can you provide effective services across cultures? Our Cultural Competence half-day workshop focuses on solutions. You do NOT need to be a cultural expert on 300 cultures. On the contrary: based on research, federal standards and best practices, this workshop shows you universal communication skills to bridge the cultural divide. 

 NEW! How to Work with an Interpreter: Wednesday, April 29, afternoon session (1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.)

One of our most popular contract trainings, offered for the first time to the public!  

This half-day workshop trains service providers and front-line staff how to work effectively with an interpreter.

Whether you work in healthcare, schools or almost any community service today, this program will help you better serve Limited English Proficient (LEP) clients or patients. There is also a special focus on how to work with both qualified and untrained interpreters.